Merkin Family Foundation pledges new commitment to the Broad Institute

The Merkin Family Foundation today announced a commitment to the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT to establish the Merkin Institute Fellows, a program that will support some of the most promising and ambitious scientists pursuing bold research at the Broad Institute. The Merkin Family Foundation's commitment will be used to create the first endowed fellowship program at the Broad Institute and will provide sustained support for these outstanding scientists as they blaze important new trails in science and medicine.

"Establishing the Merkin Institute Fellows program at the Broad Institute is deeply significant to me," said Dr. Richard Merkin, President and CEO of Heritage Provider Network. "I've dedicated my life's work to transforming global healthcare delivery and encouraging promising scientists to pursue much needed bold research projects that will help us move from care to cure."

"One of the most remarkable aspects of the Broad Institute is its high caliber talent that is advancing groundbreaking research in science and medicine," said Eli Broad, founder of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. "This new fellowship program, created through Dick's generosity and foresight, will ensure a continued pipeline of the best and brightest minds in science as they fulfill the full potential of the Broad Institute."

"Dr. Merkin is a visionary whose sustained support for the next generation of scientists is a reflection of his deep commitment to transforming medicine," said Dr. Eric Lander, director of the Broad Institute. "Dr. Merkin's remarkable leadership and generosity have already enabled us to better understand the genetic circuitry that gives stem cells their unique properties, and this continued support will allow our scientists to explore the implications for disease and treatment, and open up additional fields of research."

Promising scientists pursuing critical projects will be selected annually as Merkin Institute Fellows. Some of the research supported by the new commitment will focus on stem cell biology, regenerative medicine and neurodegenerative disease, areas Dr. Merkin cares about deeply. The new commitment builds on an earlier three-year gift from Dr. Merkin, which made possible the Richard Merkin Foundation for Stem Cell Research at the Broad Institute, launched in 2009. The earlier gift supported young scientists at the Broad Institute, including Aviv Regev, John Rinn, Alex Meissner, and Benjamin Ebert among others, as they pursued a deeper understanding of stem cells and stem cell biology. The three-year gift resulted in a number of scientific advances, as well as more than a dozen papers related to these areas of research.

"This wonderful gift will make it possible for young scientists to be bold and creative, and to pursue their own vision," said Dr. David Altshuler, deputy director and chief academic officer at the Broad Institute. "The greater scientific community will ultimately benefit, as the Fellows make discoveries that can move an entire field forward."